


Take It Off

by Fawn4Life



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Gen, Nonbinary Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 06:13:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6183832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fawn4Life/pseuds/Fawn4Life
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They didn't know what they identified as, only that they didn't like their chest some days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take It Off

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the tumblr prompt “You heard me. Take. It. Off.”
> 
> As a side note, please don't use bandages to bind! They're rather dangerous and generally just not a good idea.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Blake licked their dry lips, hands shaking as they dropped them to their sides. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Blake turned themselves to face the wall, rotating their head so they could stare at their figure. A pleased smile worked its way onto their lips. Thanks to the bandages that Blake had procured earlier that day, their chest was finally flat enough that they could go outside without feeling… Wrong.

Their normal tights were switched out for a pair of simple black pants, and Blake’s normal bow was sitting on the dresser in favor of a black beanie to hide their cat ears. Nodding at their reflection, Blake slipped one of Yang’s borrowed shirts on. The yellow fabric was baggy on their smaller frame, and an added sweatshirt had them appearing almost completely flat. “Perfect.”

Now it was time to meet up with the team for breakfast. Shouldering their bag, Blake made their way down to the cafeteria, greeting their friends before taking the customary spot beside Yang and Weiss. No one said anything about their appearance other than to mention that they looked a bit cold, but Blake noticed Yang staring them down from the corner of their eye.

It worried them.

All throughout classes Blake could feel Yang’s eyes staring at them. It set them on edge, making their breath come out in shallow gasps. Lunchtime fared no better, with purple orbs all but glaring at them until Blake was nothing but a bundle of nerves. When the last bell rang to signal the end of classes, Blake pushed themselves up and made a beeline for the door.

A hand gripped Blake’s wrist just before they could escape, and Blake swallowed reflexively at the angry look in Yang’s eyes. “Hey Blakey, we need to talk.”

“A-about what?” Their voice came out in a squeak.

“I think you know.” Yang steered them both towards the dorm room, locking the door behind her once inside. Crossing her arms over her chest, Yang’s eyes glared daggers at Blake. “Take your shirt off.”

“Take what off?” Blake bristled, tears pricking the corners of their eyes. It hadn’t occurred to them that Yang of all people wouldn’t be supportive. Yang, their best friend, their partner, their… everything, it seemed.

“You heard me. Take. It. Off.” Yang stepped forward, causing Blake to take a step back.

“Why?”

“Because I know you’re hiding something!”

“I’m not hiding anything!” Blake protested, voice shaky. “Get away from me!” Their hands wrapped around themselves protectively.

Yang’s eyes immediately softened, voice going soft as she held her hands up. “Hey, easy Blake, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m not gonna… God, I fucked this up really bad, didn’t I? Geez, you’re shaking..” Slowly, she inched forward until she was only a few inches away from Blake. “Look, I know you’re using something to bind yourself, I just wanna know what it is.”

“Why?” Blake’s asked warily.

“Just answer the question, please Blakey?”

It was the pleading tone that did Blake in. Sighing, they tugged off the sweatshirt and rolled the borrowed shirt up, revealing their bandaged chest. Yang let out an angry hiss, reaching forward. “You gotta take those off Blake.”

“What? No!” Batting Yang’s hands away, Blake shook their head. “Why won’t you leave me alone? I feel better this way! I feel normal like this!” Feline ears flattened beneath the beanie. “I thought you were my friend..”

“I am your friend!” Yang’s face fell. “That’s why I’m telling you to take them off. They’re dangerous, Blake. Using bandages can warp your ribs, maybe even break them if you’re not careful!” Taking a deep breath, Yang grabbed Blake’s hands gently. “Look, whatever makes you happy, I say go for it. But not with these. We can get you something safer to use, okay? I don’t’ want you getting hurt.”

“Oh.” They hadn’t known that. Glancing down at their joined hands, Blake bit their lip. “Safer? Like what?”

“We can order you a binder, and for now you can use a sports bra. Just take the bandages off please?”

“…. Okay..” The relief in Yang’s eyes make Blake’s heart stutter a bit in their chest. Shifting so that their back was to Yang, Blake began the slow process of unwinding the bandages. A long white band pooled at their feet, and once it was finally off Blake inhaled deeply.

That felt much better. They hadn’t realized how much it had hurt until just now.

A cough from behind them had Blake’s eyes widening, and the faunus quickly tugged the shirt down to cover up. Turning back around, Blake could see the tips of Yang’s ears turn red. Their own cheeks reddened slightly in response. “So… about that binder?”

“Uhh.. right…” Yang blinked slowly before her trademark grin came back. “Right. C'mon, I’ll show you. I had a friend back at Signal that identified as genderfluid so they had a binder as well. Speaking of, what do you identify as?”

“I.. I don’t know, to be honest,” Blake mumbled. “I just know I don’t like my chest some days.”

“That’s okay if you don’t know. Do you wanna be she? He? They?”

“You’d… You’d call me something different?”

Yang shrugged, smiling wide. “Of course. Whatever makes you more comfortable.”

“Oh..” Blake couldn’t suppress the smile on their face. “They, please.”

Yang nodded, slinging an arm around Blake. “Okay, they it is. And Blake?”

“Hmm?”

Blake let out a yelp as Yang pinched their side. “That’s my shirt, you jerk!”

“S-Sorry.. I can take it off?”

A wink was Yang’s response, the blonde’s voice lowering into a husky drawl that sent shivers down Blake’s spine. “For now, let’s work on ordering you that binder. But I’ll hold you to that later tonight, partner.”


End file.
